Ten tips for choosing a day care centre
By: sharon
“Hello? Is this the Perfect Stranger Day Care Centre? I’d like you to care for my child. Will you keep my child safe, treat them respectfully and ensure they’re given a rich learning environment?
“What’s that you say? ‘Yes?’ That’s brilliant!
“Oh, another thing: there aren’t any paedophiles or child beaters on your staff, are there? No? Fantastic! I’ll pop my baby into your care, first thing tomorrow.
“Bye now!”
I wish choosing a day care centre was this easy. You’d ask the questions, get honest answers, and find the perfect solution. From my experience working in day care, I can honestly say this isn’t the reality. There are quality day care centres, and there are rubbish day care centres. All will try to convince you that they offer quality care. And being as this is the first time most parents encounter the challenges that come with sending their kids to school, or back to school, it can be pretty daunting.
So if some places aren’t offering this, how do we sort the wheat from the chaff? We can’t stay at the day care centre for the child’s entire stay to see everything that happens.
I have some tactics to help parents see beyond that veil of day-care mystery as much as possible.
1) Ask yourself: do I need day care?
Here are some reasons for choosing to use day care:
- Working/studying/job-seeking parents
- Parents needing a break or respite
- For educational and/or social opportunities
- School preparation
- Many other reasons. There’s no wrong reason!
2) Use your instincts
Listen to your instincts. A positive vibe from a centre is a good start. If you hang up after an enquiry and have a sick or generally bad feeling, that’s not ideal. Of course, we aren’t choosing this based entirely on gut feelings. Listen to this and ask the important questions.
3) Does the centre provide an individual learning program?
Individual learning programs are created by interacting with and observing children. A caregiver learns the child’s strengths, areas to build on and interests.
Play experiences are then planned for the child to meet their developmental needs and interests. Five developmental areas are addressed: physical, intellectual, language, emotional and social.
Some parents aren’t worried if an individual program isn’t offered, as long as their child is well cared for. If my child is running around all day playing happily, what’s the harm?
On the surface it seems harmless. However, this is one of the best questions to ask. This can help you to trip up the dodgy centres! Provision of these programs is a basic Department Of Community Services requirement. If a centre is choosing to ignore this, what else is neglected? Hygiene? Safety? Child-to-staff ratios? Ignoring programming probably means it’s not the only issue being overlooked.
Years ago, I researched local centres to find my daughter a child care centre. I rang around, and some answers shocked me! One director asked me what an individual program is. Another told me outright that they don’t provide it! It’s baffling that centres get away with this. Before this, I’d never seen a centre that neglected these programs, even the bad ones! If individual programs aren’t drastically important to you, please ask this question anyway. It’s very telling.
4) Is there a certificate of accreditation?
Any centre you visit should display this. The national association that grants or denies accreditation to a centre (National Childcare Accreditation Council), rates child care services. Some centres with the highest rankings are centres I wouldn’t use. Some perform well on the day of the validation visit then slacken off afterward. So, look for the certificate, but don’t put too much stock in the rating.
5) Find out about staff
Once again, use your instinct. Rapport between staff, child and parents is important. Find out the staff’s qualifications. It’s ok for child care centres to have one or two untrained staff, but the majority should be TAFE or uni qualified. Also, check that all staff are up to date in first aid.
Look for high child-to-staff ratios. This gives your child a better chance of having supervision, attention, safety and overall quality care. Caregivers cost centres money. When owners willingly pay for decent staff numbers, it’s less likely they’ll cut corners on other aspects of care. Your child is more likely to be their priority.
Find out what the staff turnover rate is. A low rate is a fantastic sign. Talking to locals and other parents is a good way to find out. Observe the staff’s demeanour. Are they satisfied in their job, relaxed? Or stressed, cranky, tired or bored? Are they respectful of parents? This reflects on the quality of care.
6) Pay attention to the facilities
Are the facilities clean and in good working order? Is a first aid kit readily available to indoor and outdoor areas? Is it a safe environment for a child? Does the entrance/exit gate have a secure latch? Observe as much as you can when you visit.
7) Time your visits
Avoid making the first visit during lunch, and for the next few hours after (nap time). You’ll be asked to return at a better time, and you won’t see anything in the dark anyway!
Before visiting, walk past the outdoor play area when the children are playing. Are the children well treated and supervised? Still interested? Schedule an appointment to meet with the director/supervisor.
8) Word of mouth
Try talking to other parents and neighbours of the centre. You’ll soon discover the general satisfaction level. Neighbours will be able to tell you easily if they believe the children are well-treated or not. Don’t harass anyone, though. A quick question to the neighbour walking their dog is acceptable, door knocking every house isn’t!
9) Read their policies
Ask to read the centre’s policies. This shows you if the service will fit your needs, values and beliefs. Is the centre breastfeeding friendly, for example? Is that important to you? Look for what’s relevant to your situation. Policies are an excellent reflection of the management’s values and priorities.
10) Observe the children
Although few children are ever constantly happy, observe them. It’s normal, even in an excellent centre, to see a child crying from separation anxiety. But it’s good to see a large number of children relaxed and playing happily.
Choosing the best care for your child can be terrifying, but when you find the right one, there are many benefits. Children enjoy learning through play, interacting with peers and playing with fantastic toys.
Is your child in day care? What did you do to help make the best choice?
sharon
A qualified childcare worker turned stay-at-home mum of three, Sharon is passionate about fostering creativity and self-expression in children. She wants mothers to see themselves as more than the invisible lady that everyone dumps their bags and dirty clothes on. She writes the blog, Hear Mum Roar.
Showing 11 comments
If you are worried about your child's well-being, you can't concentrate on your work. So it is necessary to take proper decision and choose a right day care for your child, so that he/she is in a safe, loving, and stimulating environment.
Sometimes the fanciest centres with all the mod cons aren't always the best, are they, Lucy?
I agree, especially on the keep considering point. Centres and staff can change, in terms of dynamics and how things are run.
It really sounds as though they didn't give your child time to settle in, Relative! How frustrating that must've been. Some young children can take some time to get used to it.
Totally agree on your points about feeling welcome to communicate. Anything less, in my opinion, is a warning bell
My little one hates missing her childcare if for any reason she has to. She cried a few times in the beginning. Everything was strange. There is no other children in family, extended one, or neighbours so she had to learn to interact with others. She has made a lot of close friends. We tried in-home childcare first ( there was 2 children who needed extra care which we were not made aware of - not that it would have influenced our decision) but our littlie cried when we left her, and after 2 days we were told it wasn't working out , and basically told us she couldn't go there anymore. We really don't feel she was given a chance to settle in. Apart from other points already made, ensure that you will be made welcome to ask questions re. problems, what the child has eaten during the day - that way you know what nutrition and how much they have eaten. If they have eaten well during the day, they may not be as interested in their evening meal, so you won't stress as much if your child refuses to eat very much and upset your child too.
Clairey, when I was looking for centres, I didn't know anyone with kids in that town anyway, so I was all set, lol! But I agree, once they do, it matters:)
Your child's happiness at a centre is often greatly underestimated and the friends they have in a room. This can be more important than the food they are served, what the learning philosophies are, the policies on nappy creams.
I had the dilemma of changing centres last year and my eldest had to bear the brunt of the change. As she had been put into the kinder room with her other little friends they were starting off for a lovely year, excellent carers, great room, huge yard. But my bubba was in a room that was horrid, dark, dingy, carers who were as far from AP style as you could get, telling me not to worry, she surely couldn't cry ALL day. There were too many tiny babies needing high care levels (think 10 weeks old) compared to 12 month olds. I couldn't leave my baby there a single day.
So I moved them both to a new centre. While Immy thrived in the beautiful babies room with loving carers who we now have grabbed as the best baby sitters in town. Popps had to make new friends, it took awhile, she was ok, but a year later we still have to organise catch ups with friends from the first centre because the friendships she made there were so strong. She still misses her old centre and still cries when I leave, which she never did at the first place. Having excellent play mates is a security for small people that should not be discounted when making your choice.
You do - as soon as you walk in. For me, gut feel was the biggest deciding factor, but it's important to consider the other things too. And to keep considering them. You can always change day care centre if it's just not working out and your child isn't happy.
Luckily wait lists are not an issue at all in Adelaide, but like you Melissa, I went on "vibe" and feel. All three of my littlies went to a local centre. The building is the oldest/least glamorous. I chose it from a list of 6 that I had visisted. It was the people that won me over. The staff turnover is minimal. They have been wonderful. I shall cry when Lexie comes to finish up there in October to start Primary!
You really do get a strong vibe pretty quickly, don't you, Melissa?
I relied a lot on instinct when I chose my kids’ day care centre. I started trying to find one when my first child was 6 months (to start when he was one). I walked in to quite a few that just didn’t feel right… the general vibe, the demeanor of staff. Sometimes I couldn’t place it, but I just knew that I didn’t want to leave my precious baby there. I’d often take him with me and plop him down with the other kids while I chatted to staff and sometimes I couldn’t wait to pick him back up again, cuddle him tight and make a quick exit. I did however find two very good local day care centres that felt warm and loving as soon as we went in. One was closer to home and I was waitlisted for 3 YEARS before I finally secured a place for Oscar (perhaps length of wait list is a good quality indicator too??). In the meantime he went to the other kindy which was further away, but I didn’t mind as he was happy there. His little brother now goes there as he is still yet to get in to the closer one. Makes for a day care drop-off nightmare, but both are happy, so I am happy :)